Victorian taxpayers to spend millions on political election campaigns under new legislation

VICTORIANS would fork out more than $55 million to fill party war chests for election campaigns under a proposed Andrews Government overhaul of the system of political donations.

VICTORIANS would fork out more than $55 million to fill party war chests for election campaigns under a proposed Andrews Government overhaul of the system of political donations.

Legislation to go before parliament would cap donations to parties from an individual or organisation at $4000 over a four-year term.

But in return, taxpayers would foot the bill for the tens of millions of dollars of forgone donations.

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Under the new political election reforms, bunting and signage restriction will be introduced around polling stations. Picture: AAP.

Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings revealed the plan today in parliament.

“Yes, public funding,” he said. “Yes, accountability; yes, transparency; yes, predictability and reducing political influence. These tough new donation laws will be the strictest and most transparent in the country.”

All governments are facing pressure for reform.

At the last state election, $388,000 was wrongly paid to Labor campaign staff in a rorts-for-votes scheme uncovered by the Herald Sun.

MP Gavin Jennings.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass said the scheme “crossed the line” and was “wrong”.

And parties pocketed over $54 million in untraceable donations in the election lead-up.

Some Spring St sources today asked why there wasn’t a complete ban on donations, if the public was to have to pay.

If the Bill passes, new measures would include:

REDUCING disclosure limits from $13,500 to $1000 and ensuring publication in real time.

A 10-YEAR jail sentence for flouting the rules.

BANS on foreign donations

ONE individual being unable to more than six third-party campaigners.

BUNTING and signage restrictions at polling stations.

A NEW vote-based funding method.

Under the new model, parties would get $6 per vote in the Legislative Assembly and $3 per vote in the Legislative Council, plus a $40,000 administration payment per MP per year, totalling $55 million.

Currently parties get $1.79 per vote, which amounts to roughly $10 million.

The Electoral Legislation Amendment Bill will also modernise election practices such as allowing counting of postal votes before election night.

Unions would be unable to give large donations to individual MPs or parties.

And if they spend more than $2000 on campaigning, they must account for how the money is spent.

Each party would be able to nominate an entity to act as a trust, but that entity would not be able to engage in fundraising outside of the political donation rules.

Greens MP Sam Hibbins said the Bill would have to be heavily scrutinised. “The Bill needs to be watertight. It needs to make sure it is not open to loopholes, but at the end of the day this Bill is overdue.”

The Coalition declined to comment until it has had time to examine the Bill in detail.

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